Sabastian Sawe runs 1:59:30 in London, the first marathon under two hours in a real race

Sabastian Sawe won the London Marathon on Sunday in 1:59:30, a world record subject to ratification and the first time a man has broken two hours in a race that counts. Kelvin Kiptum's record, 2:00:35 from Chicago in 2023, went by 65 seconds. Eliud Kipchoge's 1:59 run in Vienna in 2019 was an exhibition and does not stand as a record. This does.

The six leaders passed 5 km in 14:14, halfway in 1:00:29 and 30 km in 1:26:03. Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha pulled clear between 30 and 35 km, running that stretch in 13:54 and the next in 13:42, with Jacob Kiplimo about 21 seconds back. Sawe went alone with a mile to go and ran the second half in 59:01.

Kejelcha, in his first marathon, was second in 1:59:41, an Ethiopian record, the fastest debut ever and the second-fastest marathon ever. Kiplimo was third in 2:00:28, a Ugandan record. Amos Kipruto ran 2:01:39 and Tamirat Tola 2:02:59, both personal bests, and Deresa Geleta 2:03:23. Ireland's Peter Lynch was ninth in 2:06:08, a national record, and Mahamed Mahamed tenth in 2:06:14, second on the British all-time list. Joshua Cheptegei was 12th in 2:06:39.

Sawe, 2025 champion here in 2:02:27, said afterwards: "It is a day to remember for me."

Two hours was never a physical wall; it was a number people decided mattered. On a London morning, two men ran under it in the same race, and one of them had never run a marathon before.

Sources: World Athletics; Wikipedia (results table).